The Final Battle
by luckyem7
Summary: The final battle between good and evil has finally begun, and the Valkyries are desperate to give good an edge for the war. An edge that involves turning a Charmed One into a warrior for the cause.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction, so I hope you guys enjoy it. This is set a few months after the season 8 finale; it based off ideas from the season 6 premiere. Please read and review! I'd love to hear what y'all think, whether it be criticism or praise. This first part is a bit short and vague, but more will be revealed in the coming chapters. The chapters will also be lengthened.

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed.

* * *

"After all these years, it's finally beginning."

Every single eye in Valhalla was glued on the explosion of lights on the horizon. This was the sign that they had been waiting for, the signal that the Final World Battle between good and evil was starting.

The leader, Freyja addressed the two other Valkyrie standing in front of her, "Do you think we have the strength to do this?"

"We've been training for millennia for this very moment," Mist, the second-in-command answered, nervously pulling her thin blonde hair back with a headband. "We have to be ready. We have no other choice now."

Freyja responded with a frown on her face, "Well, there's one thing we could do to secure our victory…."

Kara spoke up for the first time, anger flaring up in her stormy blue eyes, "We made a vow never to do that. It would undermine all of our values and beliefs."

"We have to. Without her, we may not have the power to take on evil by ourselves," Mist stated with cold determination, shaking her head at Kara.

Kara began to say, "Our training has been going on for centuries. That should be enou-"

"Evil's been training, too," Freyja interjected. She crossed her arms and said, "We need the girl if we want the edge that will help us defeat everything evil can throw at her."

"But the only way for one to become a Valkyrie is to join us willingly, and she would never do that. She has a life on Earth and would never leave it, not if it meant losing her family," Kara pointed out. "The only way for us to get her up here would be to take her dying soul and turn her into a warrior."

"Then so be it," Freyja decided. "We'll do it now, before we begin the fight. We need her powers and expertise to get through this."

Kara tried one last attempt to save this poor girl's soul, "But what about her sisters? They'll never just let us take her without a fight. Once they know we have her, they'll go to the end of the earth to find her."

"To the world, she'll be dead. There'll be no reason to go looking for her," Freyja insisted.

'But they'll still want revenge against us for killing her- they'll figure out that it was us soon enough. They didn't try to destroy us last time, even though we took their whitelighter, because they thought we had a noble purpose. They probably won't let us get away with that again. This could be the end of the Valkyrie," Kara argued vehemently. Her hand began to slowly inch towards the dagger she always kept strapped at her side.

Mist shook her head at that, an idea already in place for that possibility, "We can pin it on a demon. The Charmed Ones get attacked all the time, so we won't have to wait too long. We'll manipulate events so that the witch loses."

Kara's eyes slowly widened in horror. Helping evil kill a good witch? How could Mist even suggest something like this? She furiously protested, "We can't assist evil in a task like that. We are forces of good- we never associate with evil, no matter the circumstances!"

"The demon will be killed shortly afterwards- if not by the sisters, then by us. Her sacrifice will be avenged," Freyja decided with her words reeking of confidence in the plan.

This was the point at which Kara realized she was not going to convince these two that these was the wrong plan, even if this could give them an edge. There were other ways, ways that didn't break their moral code, that could be used to win this war. She gripped the necklace around her neck, and almost immediately a green portal appeared. She stepped through it without a word to Freyja and Mist. The pair stared as the angry woman disappeared through the portal.

Freyja turned to reassure Mist, who was still looking uncertainly at where the portal had been, "We have to do this. For the world's sake." She put her hand on the woman's shoulder, gently comforting her. "Now go get the rest of the women- we have a soul to collect."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

AN: Until I get at least 1-2 reviews for the story, I'm going to hold off writing the next chapter. I don't want to work on a story that nobody's actually reading. This chapter is mostly dedicated to showing what's going on in the sisters' lives. The action will begin in the following chapter. Thanks for reading, and please review. It would only take a moment of your time to write a comment.

The Halliwell manor was a historical place where generations of Halliwell witches vanquished demons and lived their daily lives. The entire magical community followed what went on in the manor. But what was happening that day would probably be left out of the magical history books.

The house was in a state of total chaos, and it was all thanks to a smiling blonde toddler. Food was flying everywhere in clusters of blue orbs as Wyatt giggled in amusement.

"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell, you stop this nonsense right now!" Piper yelled from behind the couch, where she was sheltering herself from the food. The four-year-old shook his head and grinned impishly. "Leo, how can we stop this?" she whispered to her husband, who was also behind the couch.

Leo simply muttered one of the most used phrases in this family, "Magical boys will be magical boys."

"Chris isn't this bad- he's sleeping, not throwing around pastries," Piper retorted.

Piper threw up her hands and froze the cake that was two inches away from her face. That was it. This could not go on any longer- the entire family was trooping out here later this afternoon for a family dinner, and they could not arrive to find the place like this. The annoyed witch began to chant:

_Let the object of objection_

_Become but a dream_

_As I cause this scene _

_To be unseen_

Almost immediately, the carnage began to dissipate. The food returned to the table, the hole in the wall caused by a giant stuffed turkey sealed up, and the icing on Wyatt's face disappeared.

Leo stared at Piper in awe for a moment before saying, "I can't believe you ever thought you wouldn't be a good mother." He then added with a smirk, "This takes the cake."

A giggle escaped her lips at the pun, and she answered, "You're right- that spell wasn't half-baked." The couple fell into an easy laughter that was common in the manor.

* * *

"Come on, Coop, it won't be that bad," Phoebe reasoned with her boyfriend.

The tall, attractive man crossed his arms, refusing to look her in the eyes, "No grown man should be subjected to something like that. It's not manly."

"Coop, you're a cupid. That's not very manly either- I mean, you teleport around in the shape of a heart," Phoebe said teasingly.

Coop looked at her with fake outrage running across his face and refused to reply. Phoebe sighed, "Coop, I was simply suggesting taking a salsa dancing class. It wouldn't be that bad. It can't be that unmanly, since Henry agreed to take it with Paige."

Coop finally relented, "Fine, I'll do it…on one condition. We get to do one activity of my choosing too."

Phoebe jumped up and down in excitement for a minute before asking, "What's your activity?"

Instead of answering, he picked her up bridal style and teleported towards the bedroom in the shape of a heart. A voice echoed off the walls, "Now you can't say that my hearting isn't manly."

* * *

The police station was always a busy place, and that day was no exception, especially for Henry Mitchell.

His parolee, who also happened to be one of his wife's charges, was on the run because his abusive uncle was threatening him and his younger brother, Nate. Two years ago, the twenty-five year old, Grant Montgomery, had robbed a grocery store to feed himself and his brother. They had been living alone in a small apartment to escape their uncle's abuse. He had gotten early parole because of good behavior. Now, that same uncle that had driven them out years ago was angry because Grant and Nate were doing well and making money, money the uncle wanted as a payment for taking "care" of them.

Henry shook his head slowly at the situation- Grant was a good guy who had just been dealt a bad hand. Paige had informed him that the man was also a witch who had never known about his powers. That could either be a good or bad thing, depending on how Grant dealt with the news.

A smile crept across his face; this situation was eerily similar to the way they had met, with his parolee and her charge, Speed. Without Speed, they may have never met, and Henry's life would never have become the wonder it was today.

Walking back to his office, his eyes immediately noticed the sudden blue light underneath his door that disappeared just as quickly. That could only mean one thing- Paige.

His eyes lit up at the sight of Paige sitting in his chair with her feet up on the desk. "Hey, beautiful," he commented. "What's up?"

Paige had a small frown on her face as she looked up at him, "I was doing some research into the uncle, seeing if he had any demonic connections, and it turns out he's sort of a…warlock. He wants Grant and Nate's powers."

"Then why didn't he kill them when they were younger? It would be a lot easier. And how in the world did he get custody of those two if he's not related?" Henry questioned. This situation had just gotten a whole lot worse. Human evils, he could handle, but the demonic problems were a bit out of his expertise.

"He got someone else to cast a pretty powerful memory spell on the Montgomery family to convince then. As for the wait, I think he was making sure no new powers manifested before he stole them," Paige answered.

"Should we go looking for the brothers now to get them out of danger?" Henry inquired.

Paige said, "Let's go find them after dinner. Remember, Piper's hosting that family meal tonight, and she really wants us to be there. It's been forever since we've been over to the manor."

Henry's stomach rumbled and he said, "Great, I'm starving anyway. It's been a while since I've had Piper's delicious food."

"Are you saying my food's not delicious?" Paige asked, pretending to put on a hurt face.

"No, your food's great. It's just that when you cook…it's a bit dangerous. Last time, you set the kitchen on fire when trying to make pasta," Henry teased her gently before pressing his lips to hers, effectively ending the argument for the moment.

"I love you, Henry Mitchell," Paige murmured as she pulled away.

"I love you too."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews, wiccawhitewitchcharmedfan and YugiohObsessed. I loved getting the feedback. . Everyone, I hope you enjoy this next segment. Please review! I'll start writing the next chapter after 2-3 more reviews.

* * *

"You managed to convince him to take salsa lessons with you?" Piper exclaimed, staring in amazement at her younger sister, who was sitting across from her at the table. "I tried that with Leo once…he faked an injury- every time." Piper smiled teasingly at her husband.

Leo laughed, "You did the same thing when I tried to get you to come to a baseball game with me and the boys."

Phoebe commented, "Paige got Henry to take salsa lessons, too."

Paige grinned at her husband and said, "Well, that story may have gone a little differently. It was him who got me to do it."

Everyone burst out laughing, looking towards the blushing man, who claimed, "In my defense, salsa lessons improve coordination and flexibility."

"I'm sure that will be very useful at other activities you might be interested in Henry, such as ballet," Phoebe joked to her brother-in-law.

"Hey, Henry is just as much as a man if he takes salsa lessons," Coop defended.

"Says the guy who is also taking lessons," Paige said. "How did Phoebe convince you anyway, Coop?"

Coop turned red before saying, "Well, we made a deal…" he trailed off.

Piper rescued him by saying, "Hey, who's ready for dessert?" To no one's surprise, every single person was ready for Piper's delicious apple pie.

Paige was just about to dig into her portion when a frantic thought of _help_ went racing through her mind. The thought was obviously not hers, so she focused on her charges. After a moment of sensing, she narrowed it down to Grant, her newest charge.

She turned towards her family and said, "I've got to go; my charge is in trouble."

Henry looked at her and asked, "Is it Grant?" She nodded.

Piper told her, "Just be careful." Paige nodded towards her as well before orbing out.

* * *

Paige warily orbed into the dark alley where the call for help had come from. Almost immediately, she saw a young, blonde man cowering beneath a man's sword. The man in question had slicked-back dark hair, lightly tanned skin, and was wearing a trench coat. If the situation wasn't so serious, Paige would've laughed at the sight of the dark trench coat. She thought, _Some villains just can't let go of those clichés._ This man was obviously the warlock Sal, whom she had looked up earlier in the Book of Shadows.

"Hey, ugly, leave him alone!" she brazenly called out to Sal.

Sal turned around and glared at the witch, "Mind your own business, whitelighter. This kid belongs to me." The warlock turned back to his victim without another word.

Paige pouted a bit- she thought the sight of a Charmed One would be enough to draw Sal away from Grant. It seemed that Sal thought she was just another whitelighter.

"Sword!" Paige yelled, smirking at the warlock's expression as he turned around angrily and watched his sword get orbed out of the alley.

"So I get the pleasure of facing a Charmed one- how wonderful," Sal sarcastically drawled. Apparently her power had given away her identity.

Paige opened her mouth to respond, but the warlock blinked out before she could. _That was too easy_, Paige thought. Since the warlock would undoubtedly be back, she looked at Grant, who was still on the ground, and waved her arm at him, "Manor!" The boy disappeared in blue orbs. Paige figured her sisters could explain magic to the confused man.

Just then, a faint pop sounded behind her, and she instinctively orbed to the opposite side of the alley. A sword stabbed the spot where she had just been standing. Apparently the warlock had left to go fetch another sword. Paige swung her arm towards the trashcan and orbed it towards the warlock. It hit him straight on and sent him flying towards the wall. He smacked into it with a thud. Unfortunately, he stood up almost immediately.

She cursed herself for not making a vanquishing potion earlier. She had figured she would be going after this demon later, not planning for the possibility that he would attack her charge first.

Sal smiled evilly for a moment before charging at her with his sword, which was already crusted with dried blood. She was beginning to orb out when she felt something shove at her, enough to prevent her from orbing for just a moment. Paige tried to orb out again, but it was too late. She didn't even have time to scream before Sal stabbed the sword through her chest.

The pain was like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was like red-hot flames were shooting through, while at the same time, coldness began to overcome her. Immediately, all of the energy in her body was drained from her. The only thing keeping her on her feet was the sword still stuck in her chest. The second Sal removed it, she collapsed to the ground.

Her vision slowly began to dim, but a strange sight met her pained eyes. Two women she hadn't noticed before stepped forward and stabbed Sal through the heart. The warlock went up in flames as they turned to her. For a moment, she thought she was saved, but then she recognized who they were- Valkyrie. There could only be one reason they were here beside her dying body- to take her soul to Valhalla so that she could become one of their warriors. Confusion crept up around the pain. The Valkyrie took the souls of men, not women.

One of them knelt down next to her and whispered comfortingly, "Don't worry, brave warrior. The pain will be over soon."

She managed to mutter around the blood pooled in her mouth, "Piper, Phoebe, help." Then, the darkness overtook, and she knew nothing more.

* * *

Freyja and Mist sadly watched as the witch drew her last breath. It went against their nature to not help a force of good, but this was an exception. An exception that would hopefully help good win the war against evil.

Almost immediately after the witch closed her eyes, her soul stepped out of her body. A mixture of shock and sadness ran across Paige's face as she stared down at her own body.

The Valkyries did not waste any time. The Angel of Death would be arriving at any second to take the woman's soul, so they had to hurry.

Mist carefully pulled a blessed bottle from the satchel at her side. Before Paige could protest, her soul was forcibly sucked into the bottle. Mist carefully capped it and placed it into her satchel.

Then, sirens broke out the silence, startling both of the Valkyries. Freyja concentrated for a moment before announcing, "They're coming this way."

"How could they already know what happened? There's no one here," Mist exclaimed.

Freyja replied hastily, "It doesn't matter; we just have to get out of here before they arrive." The two women disappeared through the portal with Paige's soul without another word. The only things left behind were Paige's motionless body and the sound of sirens.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When the paramedics leaped out of the ambulance, a terrible sight met their eyes. A woman lay motionless on the ground, her shirt completely covered in blood. As the paramedics ran towards the lady, a man rushed out of the apartment that neighbored the alley.

The man explained, "I was the one who called it in. I looked out the window just as a man stabbed her with some type of sword. I went to call 911, and by the time I got back, the man was already gone."

Both of the paramedics nodded in surprise and rushed to the woman's side. Mike, the more experienced paramedic, put his fingers to her neck and hurriedly announced, "We've got no pulse. Doug, grab the portable defibrillator now."

As Doug raced to comply, Mike snapped on a pair on latex gloves and began pushing down on her chest to begin CPR. _1, 2, 3…._ he thought as he carefully counted out the number of pushes before breathing into her mouth.

Doug returned with the defibrillator. He quickly spread the gel on the paddles and commanded, "Charge to 200." He placed the paddles on the woman's chest and watched anxiously as the current spread through her chest. He checked for a pulse and to his surprise, there was a very faint pulse. _This woman's a fighter_, he thought with a slight smile.

"Let's load her up and give her a transfusion. Call the hospital and tell them to prep an OR," Mike ordered. As he began to lift her, a wallet fell out of the woman's pocket. He opened it up and saw the name Paige Matthews.

* * *

"Where could she be? She should've been back by now," Henry worried aloud. Every time his wife went off to help one of her charges, he barely breathed until she came back safe and sound.

Piper tried to reassure him, "She'll be fine; she always comes out okay."

Just then, the phone rang forebodingly. As Piper picked it up, something felt…wrong. The man on the other end of the line almost immediately confirmed that feeling, "Is this Piper Halliwell?"

"Yes, it is. What's going on? Who is this?" the brunette asked with worry clearly running through her tone.

"I work at the hospital. Your sister, Paige Matthews, was brought in earlier in critical condition," the man said ominously.

Piper yelled, "What happened to her?" She nervously clenched her hand around the phone, her fingers tight with tension.

"I cannot discuss the details over the phone, but I assure you that our doctors are doing everything they can to save her life."

The moment the phone call ended, Piper began to slowly slide to the ground before Leo put his arms around her to keep her upright. She murmured to her anxious family, "Paige got admitted to the hospital earlier. The doctor said that she was in pretty bad shape."

Henry didn't say a word, and simply grabbed his keys off of the counter. He rushed out the door and was immediately followed by the rest of the Halliwell clan. All of them were worried for the optimistic, fun-loving witchlighter.

* * *

For a long time, Paige felt deprived of all her senses. Everything was black, and she couldn't even hear her own breathing. This lasted for what felt like an eternity. Although it was a bit frustrating, it did give her some time to think.

She was very confused as to why the Valkyries had taken her soul. _Had they been the ones who had caused her death?_ she wondered. There had been that moment right before Sal stabbed her when she had felt some kind of shove that had stopped her from orbing. But if that had been them, why had they even wanted her in the first place? If they had needed a Charmed one, Piper was far more powerful and experienced than Paige could ever hope to be.

The thought of Piper brought tears to her eyes. She would never see her family again because of one stupid warlock and a clan of sword-toting Valkyries. Henry…she had finally found happiness with him, and now it was disappearing just as quickly. It seemed that it was impossible for her to ever stay happy.

Then, all of the sudden, she felt herself being forcibly pulled out from the bottle. When the world reappeared in front of her eyes, she was immediately weighed down with the stares of a dozen Valkyries.

At the sight of the group that had torn her away from her family, Paige flew into a rage, "How dare you help a demon kill me? I thought you were supposed to be forces of good and instead you're killing off good witches!"

Freyja, surprisingly, remained calm while she answered, "The battle between good and el has begun, and we needed more firepower. We were afraid that evil would overcome us, which would result in the end of all good. You are a witchlighter who can aid us greatly with your advanced sensing, orbing, and witch powers."

Paige paused in her rampage for a moment to look up in surprise, "The war started?"

Freyja nodded, "We sent out the first troops a few hours ago."

"Why didn't you just ask me and my sisters for help? We would've come," Paige asked.

"Because the place where the battle is taking place, the Elysian Fields, is made so that only the Valkyrie, their warriors, and evil can enter. This was determined long ago, when the final battle was first prophesized. You would've never left your family," Freyja answered.

This stunned Paige for a moment before anger took over, "You had no right to make that choice for me! You tore me from my family." The furious witch dove at Freyja and punched her directly in the face. The Valkyrie retaliated by swinging her fist into Paige's nose. There was a crack, and blood gushed out of Paige's nose. Freyja then kicked upwards into Paige's stomach. Paige let out a gasp as she struggled to regain her breath. She stepped backwards away from the warrior and covered her bleeding nose with her hand.

Freyja turned around and instructed Mist and another Valkyrie, "Take her to the holding area, until she's ready to cooperate." With those words, Paige felt her hope dissipate - this meant that she was truly never returning home.

* * *

AN: Thanks for reviewing the previous chapter! I apologize for my lack of medical knowledge in first part. Secondly, in case you're wondering, they were able to bring Paige's body back to life because her soul being gone does not equal permanent death if her injuries are not deadly enough. Her body can still be kept alive. I'll start writing the next chapter after 3 more reviews.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

AN: Thanks for the reviews! First of all, the medical info in this chapter may not be completely accurate. Also, Phoebe and Piper will find out the truth soon but not in this chapter. I'll write the next chapter after 3-4 more reviews.

* * *

Dr. Stevens had always hated this part of the job- telling families that their loved ones were dying or dead. He always did his best to save the patients that came in, but sometimes his intervention just wasn't enough. This appeared to be one of those times.

He looked around the waiting room, which was filled to capacity. This week had been a busy one for the hospital; there hadn't been a free moment recently. Something was up in this city, but the doctor couldn't quite put his finger on it. The Paige Matthews case was just one of many.

"Family of Paige Matthews?" he called out. Immediately, a large group of people stood up from where they had been worriedly sitting in the corner of the room. The group almost sprinted to him- this people seemed to really care about this Paige. He led them out to the hallway where they would have a little bit more privacy in receiving the news.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," Dr. Stevens led off. "Paige was stabbed through the chest. The sword went right through the subclavian artery, which caused massive internal bleeding and hemorrhaging. This led to haemothorax, which is a build-up of blood in the chest cavity. We put in a chest tube to drain the blood and to fix her lung, which had collapsed due to the wound. Then we repaired the damage to the artery. However, we have no idea of what brain damage she has suffered. She had no pulse when our paramedics arrived on scene; they managed to get her heart beating then, but her heart stopped twice during the surgery. We won't know the full extent of the damage until she wakes up, which may never happen. Right now, a ventilator is breathing for her. Unfortunately, she's in a coma." Dr. Stevens stopped there with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry the news isn't better."

Henry was the first one to react to this terrible news. His legs suddenly could not support him, and he slowly slid to the floor. Not a word passed out of his mouth- none of his muscles seemed to be working. As Leo knelt down to help Henry, Piper turned to the doctor and quietly asked, "Can we see Paige?"

The doctor nodded and warned, "Just don't be surprised when you go in there; there are a lot of machines in her room."

* * *

A slight gasp escaped Phoebe's throat as they entered Paige's room. The doctor has warned them it would be bad, but nothing could've prepared her for this. Paige was lying on the hospital bed with tubes and wires everywhere. Her sister's skin was deathly pale, which was a hard state to achieve. The only sounds in the room were the beeping of the heart monitor and the whooshing of the ventilator breathing for Paige.

Coop put a comforting arm around her, which kept her from totally breaking down. This was her baby sister on this hospital bed, looking an inch from death. This just wasn't fair. The mind echoed the words Piper had uttered years before, _Isn't it obvious by now that our only destiny is to die? _Somehow, that had never seemed truer than in this moment. First Prue, and now it seemed they might lose Paige, too.

Piper looked like she was having the same reaction as her. It was hard to accept that just a few hours ago, Paige had been joking about salsa dancing, and now she was half-dead on a hospital dead because some demon decided to run her through with a sword.

Everyone grabbed a seat in the room, ready to wait until Paige woke up. Henry pulled his chair up to her bedside and grabbed her limp hand in his. He murmured quietly to her, "Please wake up; I can't lose you now."

* * *

"We've got a big problem."

Freyja turned around at Mist's sudden announcement, "What do you mean?"

"They found Paige's body and managed to restart her heart. She's technically still alive, even though we kept her soul. Her body won't wake up until her soul is returned, but now she has something else that could prevent her from choosing to fight,"

For a moment, Freyja felt her heart plummet at the thought of losing their best chance. Then, an idea struck her, one that would convince Paige to fight in their war. Freyja said with confidence, "Let's tell Paige about this. We'll use it as motivation; we could return her spirit afterwards as a reward, as long as she survives the war. If she chooses not to, we'll send her off to the afterlife."

Mist smiled and answered, "I'll go let the witch know now."

* * *

It had been hours since the Valkyries had thrown her in here, and Paige had long since figured out that there was no way out of this room. Paige guessed that she still had her powers, since her powers were the reason the Valkyries wanted her, but there had to be some kind of kind of shield preventing her from using them in here.

These Valkyries seemed to really want her to stay here and fight. Even though she was still furious at the group for taking her life, she found herself considering fighting in this war. The war did represent everything she had been fighting for since she had become a witch. Obviously, she wanted good to win; if she could help, then maybe she should join the fight. It was too late for Paige to save herself, but maybe she could help others.

Just as soon as this thought ran through her head, the door opened up, bringing in a large stream of light that hurt her eyes for a moment. It was that blonde Valkyrie who looked like a hippie.

The Valkyrie told her, "My name is Mist, and I have some news regarding your stay with us."

"Are you sending me off to the afterlife?" Paige questioned. That seemed like the logical conclusion to make. She had made it clear to the Valkyries that she wouldn't fight, and that was the only other alternative they had.

Mist shook her head, "Actually, your body was found…and your heart was restarted."

That revelation left Paige absolutely speechless. She was still alive? This meant that maybe hope was not lost. If she could get back to where he body was, then maybe she could live out her life. The Valkyrie, perhaps sensing her shock, continued, "Freyja decided that if your fight with us and survive, then we'll send you back. If you don't, then we'll send you off to the afterlife."

It took Paige only a moment to decide, "I'll do it."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

AN: Sorry for the delay; I got distracted by school and had to set this story aside for a few weeks. I hope you enjoy this update. Please review!

Three days. That's how long her baby sister had remained in this coma. As Phoebe stared at Paige's prone form, she felt a surge of guilt rise through her. She should've offered to go with her to help her charge. Phoebe had thought she had finally gotten the hang of being the big sister, but this just showed that she was a long way from mastering the skill.

Everyone else had gone home to shower and change, but Phoebe had volunteered to stay this time, just in case Paige woke up. She didn't want Paige to wake up without someone by side. Henry had tried to stay as well, but Phoebe had practically kicked him out. That man really needed a shower.

Sitting by this hospital bed was beginning to feel routine. The same things happened every day- nurses came in every few hours, checked Paige's vitals, changed the dressing on her wound, and then left. Not once had anything changed.

Phoebe sadly glanced at Paige. A breathing tube went down into her throat, and IV's were attached to her arms. The heartbeat monitor never skipped a beat, always a rhythmic beeping. The beeping was a small comfort to her; it let her know that her baby sister was still alive.

Phoebe knew that Piper was going to be gone for a while; she had probably gone to try to find the demon again. Henry had passed on the small amount of information that he knew about the warlock hunting Paige's charge.

Yesterday, the two of them had talked to Grant, the man who had appeared in orbs in the manor right before Paige was attacked. The young man had been so freaked out that he had left without another word. Immediately after speaking to Grant, Phoebe had seen why the boy was destined to become a whitelighter. Although he had been soft-spoken, it had been obvious that he had a big heart. He had been able to give them a name- Sal. Unfortunately, scrying didn't turn up anything, and they didn't know why.

The warlock should've turned up on their map, but it must've had powerful magic guarding it; no matter how many times they tried, the crystal wouldn't fall. That meant that they didn't even get to have revenge on the warlock that had so brutally attacked her sister and left her to die. That creature didn't deserve to live, yet it was probably comfortably hiding in the underworld. A scowl distorted her pretty features at that thought.

Phoebe turned to her sister's prone form and pleaded, "Paige, please wake up. We need you more than ever now. We all miss you so much." Phoebe took a deep breath and whispered, "I love you so much. Don't give up now."

Phoebe had just gently gripped Paige's hand when her eyes rolled back and she started seeing something other than the dreary hospital room.

_Paige taunted the warlock and began to fight it. She seemed to be winning the fight until she tripped, which allowed the warlock to stab her through the chest_. Phoebe let out a gasp as she watched her sister fall, even though this had already happened. She expected that to be the end of the premonition, but it went on. _Paige fell and immediately two Valkyrie stepped out from the shadows, killed the warlock, and began to comfort Paige. The moment Paige let out her last breath, her soul was sucked into a bottle, and the Valkyries disappeared through a portal._

The second the premonition ended, Phoebe let out a gasp of disbelief. The Valkyries were behind Paige's coma? For a moment, she couldn't believe it. Then, the facts fell into place- this was why they couldn't find the warlock and why Paige wouldn't wake up. The Valkyries had taken her to Valhalla. Whatever their reasoning was behind that, Phoebe was determined to get her sister back, even if it meant taking down Valhalla. Respecting their "noble" purpose had ended the moment they had taken Paige.

Her dark eyes blazed as she stood up and ran out the door, passing by a surprised doctor and several curious nurses. The questions they called out after her did not stop her as she headed out the door and back to the Manor to save her sister.

* * *

For the first time in a long time, Paige was scared. Fighting the battle between good and evil would be a nearly impossible task by itself, but now she was weighed down by the pressure of winning her life back. If she didn't help the Valkyrie win, then she would never see any of her family again. It raised the stakes by a lot.

She anxiously glanced around at the warriors gathered around her. All of them were armed to the teeth and sporting various types of weapons. Some had swords, others had bows and arrows, and she could've sworn she saw one man with throwing stars. The preparation of this army did nothing to reassure her- the weapons meant that this battle was real and approaching fast.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud whistle coming from the front of the crowd. She immediately located Mist, the source of the sound. A slight sigh of annoyance crossed her lips; she would always hold a grudge instead Mist for helping a demon badly injure her. Mist took a deep breath before ominously announcing, "It's time."

The crowd grew very quiet, everyone worried now that the battle was finally here. No amount of training could get rid of the anxiety before a fight. Mist began to lead them towards a large cave. The moment they entered, it was like the sun had been extinguished. Paige couldn't discern anything around her except for a bright light a few meters away. She had a feeling that was the portal that would take them to the battleground, the Elysian Fields.

Paige was one of the first to enter the portal, and was immediately struck by the noise. All around her, warriors screamed and yelled as they fought demons that shimmered and threw fireballs. The battle was already underway, as demonstrated by the bodies on the ground. Paige mused for a moment, _If you die as a warrior, it must be the true end of life, and you would finally descend to the afterlife._

Paige had only been standing at the entrance for a moment when she was sent flying through the air. The air left her body as she hit the ground with a thud. The demon who had thrown her was quickly approaching so she jumped to her feet. The demon threw an energy ball at her, and at the last moment before it hit her, she called out, "Energy ball!" She diverted it back at the demon, who burst into flames._ Great_, she thought. _One down, millions to go._

* * *

Another explosion rang through the Halliwell manor. It had been the third one within a minute, and the source of it stood fuming in the middle of the living room. Phoebe cringed as the loud bangs caused her ears to ring. Ever since she had told Piper the truth about Paige's condition, Piper's anger was leading her to blowing up furniture.

Phoebe told her, "Piper, blowing up the house is not going to get Paige back."

Piper paused for a moment before replying, "Maybe you're right, but it sure will make me feel better. I can't believe the level the Valkyries have sunken to. They're supposed to be for the side of good, yet they've now tipped the balance to evil. They helped evil put Paige in a coma! How is that the noble purpose they claimed to serve?"

Phoebe sighed, "I don't know why they did this, but I do know we have to get Paige back. Do you have any ideas on how?"

"We'll have to go to Valhalla."

"The second we're there, they'll know we have arrived, unless we have amulets. We don't have them anymore, and I don't know how to get them. Chris was the one who got them last time," Phoebe pointed out.

"Chris got them by killing Valkyries. We can do the same," Piper suggested, feeling no guilt at the thought of killing the Valkyries. In her mind, by doing helping evil, they had signed their own death warrants.

Phoebe had to agree with Piper. A few Valkyries' deaths were not a crime if it prevented them from doing what they did to Paige to anyone else.


End file.
